Creased flange



July 26, 1927.

'.L A. GRAY Y cREAsED FLA/NGE' Filed June 11; 1920 Patented July l26, 1927.

FFME@ I JAMES A. GRAY, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALEFORNIA, ASIGNOR TO AMERICAN @AN 00mm, 9F NEW YORK, N.

YWA CQRPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

canasnn ramen.

Application filed J'une 11, 190. Serial No. 388,121. i i Y This invention relates tothe art of making cans and more particularly to the provision of means eliminating a condition which in the past has frequently been found to be the cause of leaks in the double seam securing the can lend to the can body,

The invention relates more particularly to cans of the sanitary 'type wherein the ends are secured in place wit-hout solder and by the interfolding of flanges formed on the bodies and ends and into a seam into which is also included a gasket of compound paper or other packing material. Tin cans of commerce are formed from sheet metal cut to suitable sized blanks and secured together along a seam runnin throughout the length of the can These efges at the ends are soldered together in overlapped relation and when the two overlapping edges are bent to form the ange it has been found that frequently there is a slipping or stretching action of the soldered ioint which forces the overlapping part having the sharper bend down beneath the overlapping part enclosing it in the inverted U-shaped constructionit assumes in the finished seam. This condition has not infrequently provided a droopas well as a slight bulge at this point in the doubleend seam and at times has been suicient to prevent catching of the curled flange of the cover behind or within this U-shaped liange of the body lwith the `result that leakage has occurred. y

y present invention has for a particular ob]ect the construction and 'arrangement of these seam parts in a manner to prevent this relative movement between the overlapping parts included within the seam so 't at this droop will be substantially eliminated and ample opportunity afforded for the engagement within and behind the depending double flange at the side seam of line of the curled flange of vention contemplates ing a preliminary bending or sired sli the can end. My ineven i deht weakening or scoring along the ange bend at the end of the body so that the inner lap member may stretch slightlyinthe flanging and seeming operation and in this respect im ar'tthe outer lap ymember may be contracted slightly in the Hanging action and each act to restrain the action of the other to the end that they will extend down in the finished seam in substantial uniformity with the other portions of tne body flange.

Another important object of my invention is the improvement of the general double seam Construction by providing a condition i,

whereby,l when can body, it will be of an accurately predetermined area and the bend will always occur at 'thevsame point onthe body. It has been found in the manufacture'of sanitary cans where flanges are bent on the ends of the bodies without a preliminary creasing or scoring of the metal, as I have done in this invention; that 'the bend will-occur at varying points, in some instances' making a long flange and in other instances a short flange. This variation in flangey area or thelange is formed on the flange length is detrimental to obtaining t-he best results in finally closing or attaching the ends to the cans. The flanges of the covers which interlock with the flanges of the bodies are of almost absolutely constant width and area, so that this portion of the seam does not vary, but there has always been some variance in the /amount of flange incorporated in the interlocking seam where the bend of the'iange has not been preliminarily determined. When, however,4 'the body is creased or scored in accordance with my present invention the line of bend is predetermined and the anges resultingl being of substantially exact uniformity -so that both the flanges of 'the can ends and the flanges of the can bodies to be` interfolded are of substantially uniform predetermined dimension and on this account co-operate in the interlockingof the two 'to form double seams which w1l1 be hermetic and non-leakmg.

Another important object of the invention is the accomplishment of these results Without greatly increasing the cost of production of the can or depreciating in any manner its hermetic qualities in other respects. y

Numerous other objec d advantages of the invention will be apparent as it-is better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying' drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can embodying my present invention showing the cover seamed in position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the body before 'the flange is formed and after scoring on the line of flange bend;

Fig. 3 is a section enlarged and taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. ff is a similar section showing the flange construction at the side seams after the Harige is formed; and

y Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and showing the arrangement in the finished seam.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown on the drawings a can in which it is embodied and which comprises a body 11 formed of a sheet of material bent to cylindrical form and having its vertical edges interengaged in a side seam formed in part of a central lock portion 12 and the end lapped portion 13 after the body is formed. Score or bend depth of the ange as may be seen upon viewing Fig. 2. Theselines may be produced in the sheet metal of the blank before it is formed into a can body, or they may be produced after the body-forming operation and in or on the cylindrical or otherwise shaped body. These score or bend lines (indicated at 14C) may be formed by any suitable inechanism and are preferably of a charaeter which causes deflection or scoring of both overlapping parts at the seam ends. Thereafter the body is flanged in the usual manner and it will be foun'd that in this flanging a sharp bend results about the can on the score line and also that the outer edges of the overlapping parts at the side seam will be arranged in circumferential registration as may be seen on viewing Fig. 4. The cover is then applied in the usual fashion and it is composed as is customary of the central body part 15 having a eylindrical shoulder 16' adapted to be disposed within the open end of the top and an outwardly extending flange 17 therebeyond.

This flange is curled in at its edge, as indi? cated at 18. and is preferably provided with a gasket- 19 or other suitable packing. The double seamiiig operation which consists in bendingr down the flanges and pressing them in against reacting pressure upon the shoulder of the can end causes the part to assume the relation shown on a large scale in 5. The material 'of the overlapping side seain parts in this action undergoes a relative stretching and contraction and remains lines are provided near each end and at a distance therefrom equal to the Fig.

medew substantially in horizontal registration to the remainder of the body flangen in the finished seam. Thus constructed there is no difficulty in insuring the engagement of the curled part of the cover flangel behind the downturned body flange and leakage is thus prevented.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be better understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made. in the form, construction and ar rangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its material advantages, the form liereinbefoie described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A process of making cans wherein the body and end' are provided with flanges adapted to be interfolded to form an hermetic seam, which consists in forming a eyliiidrical body of sheet metal with the edges secured together in a side seam, creasing the material across the side seam at the point of flange-bend whereby the inner overlapping part may stretch in being bent to provide the body-flange, forming a flange ori-said body, and seaming the end in place on said body.

2. A process of making 'cans wherein the body and end are provided with flanges adapted to be interfolded to forni an hermetic seam, which consists in weakening the material across the seam at the point of flange bend without interrupting the continuity thereof, whereby the overlapping parts may remain inthe relation assumed b efore flanging and after the flange is formed, forming a. flange on said body, and securing the end in place.

3. A process of making cans wherein the ioo llOlE body and end are provided with flanges u adapted to be interfolded to form an hermetic. seam, which consists in scoring the material across the seam at the point of flange bend, withoutv interrupting the continuity thereof, whereby the overlapping parts may remain in the relation assumed before flanging and after the flange is formed, forming a flange on said body, and securing the end in place.

4. A can body having a flange adapted t0 be interfolded with the flange of a can end to form a tight. hermetic vdouble seam, the material of the body being preliniinarily creased across the side seam and at the junction of the flange and body without interrupting the continuity thereof to permit the overlapping parts of the side seam in the flange to have a greater capacity of yielding in the Hanging operation.

5. A can body having a longitudinally extending side seam and provided with a flange at an end for seaming with the flange Kof the can end,

lll@

being creased transversely and disposed at a can body, without the removal of any of the y sharp angle vwith the body andwith the edges metal thereof, and before the a plication of lb of the overlapping parts in registration. the cover, so as to give to saicfwall a, prel 6. A process of forming can bodies for disposition to bend along a horizontal line 5 double seaming, so that the length of the which is at a' distance from the end of the body ange and the height of the body will can body substantially equal to the desiredl be substantially uniform, which consists in outward extent of the bod ilange. weakening the stiffness of the wall of the JAMl'ES A. GRAY. 

